The Crocodile
Hunter, Steve Irwin, had a Religious Experience and Became a Christian
Two Weeks Before His Death-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: An eRumor that says that Steve
Irwin, the internationally famous "Crocodile Hunter" who was
killed in a freak accident with a stingray, became a Christian just two
weeks before his death and paid off all the debts of a church in
Queensland.

The Truth: It is common for rumors about
a last-minute conversion experience to circulate about celebrities who
have died.

Steve Irwin's standing before God was known only to him and to God, but
this particular rumor about his having made a visible commitment to
faith at an Australian church two weeks before his death is false.

The version that circulated quickly around the Internet in
mid-September, 2006, was said to be from a pastor from a nearby
city. It claimed that Irwin made his decision in front of the
congregation at Kings Church in Buderim, Queensland, Australia.

Another version said that Irwin had also paid off all the debts of the
church just before he died.

Sheree Penny of the King's Christian Church in Buderim told
TruthOrFiction.com, however, that the story is not true. She said
that Irwin's wife, Terry, and her children had attended the church in
the past but that neither Terry nor Steve had attended recently.

Another rumor said that Steve Irwin had been led into making a Christian
commitment by a man who was the "chaplain" at the Australia
Zoo, Steve Irwin's tourist attraction. According to a report by
Ramon Williams through Assist News Service, however, the man is not a
chaplain at the zoo, but simply a part-time employee who did not have
personal contact with Irwin.

Updated 9/17906

A real example of the eRumor as it has
appeared on the Internet:

I want to inform Creation Ministries International, that Steve Irwin
became a born again Christian two and a half weeks ago at the Kings
Church AOG Buderim, Queensland Australia, going forward publicly before
the congregation to ask Christ to become his Lord and Saviour.

Many of us will now spend eternity with him. I am sure Terri is
comforted as a Christian in the fact that she will be with Jesus and
also Steve again for eternity. Steve declared the day before he died
that he was the happiest he had ever been in his whole life.